The 1891 census on Ancestry.co.uk shows that the Jenkins family was living at Hirnant Rectory, Hirnant, Montgomeryshire. The household consisted of Head, John Jenkins 40, (born in Cardigan) Rector of Hirnant. His wife Lucy Mary Menlove 38, born in Montgomery was the only daughter of Thomas and Jane Menlove who lived in Llandysillio Montgomeryshire. She came from a family of farmers and land owners and her father describes himself on the 1881 census for Wales, as a Gentleman with an income from land. Their children were Lucy Rebecca Dormer 9, Edward Rupert Menlove 6, Alethea Janetta Lloyd 5. Also living at this address was Jane Menlove 71 listed as Mother in Law, 71 years old, Widow, (living on own means.) There were also two servants,(a housemaid and a cook.)
Ten years on we find that the family was still living in Hirnant Rectory. John Menlove was 51, Lucy Mary 49, Lucy Rebecca Dormer 19, and a servant named Mary Elin Roberts age 18. Edward Rupert Menlove Jenkins was shown on the 1901 census to be attending St Oswalds College, Ellesmere as a Boarder Pupil, he was 16 years of age.
The England & Wales, National Probate Register (Index of Wills and Administration) show that Lucy Mary Menlove Jenkins (wife of the Reverend John Jenkins Menlove) died 14 August 1910.
The 1911 census records that the Jenkins family were still at Hirnant, John Jenkins Menlove 61, Rector of Hirnant, Lucy Rebecca Dormer 28, her employment was listed as, “At Home” There was also a servant, Sarah Jones 18.
I cannot trace Edward Rupert Menlove Jenkins in 1911 but have found an extract from a book called “Heroes and Gentlemen All” by Gevin Jones 2013 ISBN 978-0-9575875-0-2 which reveals that Edward Rupert was appointed to the curacy of Johnstown in 1908 after graduating from Oxford.
The Parish Records for St John’s Church Rhos which are held at Ruthin Archives Office confirm this information. The Statements of Accounts of the Churches of Rhosllanarchrugog Easter 1909 to Easter 1910 plainly show that The Rev. E.R.M.Jenkins-Menlove, B.A. was a Curate. His yearly stipend was the princely sum of 10s 6d. He held his first service on 26th April 1908 and his last Service was on 12th April 1914.
Again referring to the previously mentioned book by Gevin Jones, he advises us that Edward Rupert Menlove Jenkins also held the post of Curate at St Margaret’s Church Bodelwyddan.
The Parish Registers for Bodelwyddan 1860-1959 held at the Archive Office at Hawarden on Microfilm show that the first service Edward Rupert Menlove Jenkins officiated at was a Baptism on June 14th 1914 and the last service at St Margaret’s Church was a Burial on February 23rd 1916.
On www.Ancestry.co.uk under the heading Soldiers who Died in the Great war we are advised that Edward Rupert Menlove Jenkins was born in St Martins, Shropshire. He enlisted in London although was living in Cardiganshire at that time, and was killed in action on 9th September 1916 in France.
Edward’s WW1 Medal Card states that he was awarded The British War Medal and The Victory Medal.
The England & Wales probate Calendar (index of Wills and Administration) 1858-1966. shows entries for both father and son. Edward Rupert Menlove Jenkins legatees were his sisters, Rebecca and Alethea.
The Rev. John Menlove Jenkins died on 8th May 1917, he named his two daughters in his will, Lucy Rebecca Dormer Jenkins Menlove and Alethea Janetta Lloyd Menlove Jenkins.
Alethea died on 13th August 1919 naming Lucy Rebecca as her sole beneficiary. Lucy married Frederick Tudor in 1926 and lived in Manchester until her death on 29th June 1950. (England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administration) 1858-1966.
Edward is commemorated on the Bodelwyddan WW1 War Memorial, the Jesus College Memorial, Oxford and the WW1 War Memorial at Rhosllanercrugog.
Historical Information from CWGC Website.
On 1 July 1916, supported by a French attack to the south, thirteen divisions of Commonwealth forces launched an offensive on a line from north of Gommecourt to Maricourt. Despite a preliminary bombardment lasting seven days, the German defences were barely touched and the attack met unexpectedly fierce resistance. Losses were catastrophic and with only minimal advances on the southern flank, the initial attack was a failure. In the following weeks, huge resources of manpower and equipment were deployed in an attempt to exploit the modest successes of the first day. However, the German Army resisted tenaciously and repeated attacks and counter attacks meant a major battle for every village, copse and farmhouse gained. At the end of September, Thiepval was finally captured. The village had been an original objective of 1 July. Attacks north and east continued throughout October and into November in increasingly difficult weather conditions. The Battle of the Somme finally ended on 18 November with the onset of winter.
In the spring of 1917, the German forces fell back to their newly prepared defences, the Hindenburg Line, and there were no further significant engagements in the Somme sector until the Germans mounted their major offensive in March 1918.
The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. The memorial also serves as an Anglo-French Battle Memorial in recognition of the joint nature of the 1916 offensive and a small cemetery containing equal numbers of Commonwealth and French graves lies at the foot of the memorial.
The memorial, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, was built between 1928 and 1932 and unveiled by the Prince of Wales, in the presence of the President of France, on 1 August 1932 (originally scheduled for 16 May but due to the death of French President Doumer the ceremony was postponed until August).
The dead of other Commonwealth countries, who died on the Somme and have no known graves, are commemorated on national memorials elsewhere.
